1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an early electrical fire sensing system for a high voltage panel, a low voltage panel, a motor control panel, a distribution board, or a power distribution panel. The early electrical fire sensing system monitors the laser beam intensity of the particular frequencies absorbed by benzyl alcohol gas or BHT (butyl hydroxyl toluene) gas, which commonly comes out from electrical insulating materials of the panels due to overheating.
2. Description of the Related Art
Power distribution panels for distributing the electrical power to facilities are installed in factories and buildings. Electrical power wires, circuits and circuit boards are protected by mostly organic insulating materials. However, there is a risk of fire due to overheating of the organic insulating materials by neglecting structural defects, construction defects, aging of facility, and poor contact, etc.
Recently, the ratio of the electrical fires to the occurred fires of the panels is increasing due to leakage, short, and insulation aging of electrical facilities.
Conventional methods for sensing of electrical fires use a heat sensor for detecting a rise in temperature or an ignition source of the panel or a smoke detector for sensing the presence of smoke to activate fire extinguishing system. However, the detection of the ignition source or the smoke means that a fire occurred already.
Therefore, it is necessary for an early sensing and prompt warning of electrical fires before fire occurs.
Korea registered patent 10-0981232 discloses a fire sensing method that provides an early electrical fire warning system by comparing a measured value of an inner sensor with that of a standard sensor for monitoring electrical fires and equipment failure in a power distribution panel. In addition, International published patent WO2005026705 discloses a gas detector which employs vertical cavity surface emitting lasers diodes.